Whitey Goes To Bollywood
June 22, 2006 11:55 AM   Subscribe

As Bollywood goes global its becoming more cosmopolitan - and embracing one of the most controversial aspects of globalization - "Westerners will do a lot of things on camera that Indian's just won't do," says Kaneez F. Khan, a Chennai-based producer. "It's easier just to outsource the role to someone who doesn't have anything at stake." (via.)
posted by Jos Bleau (22 comments total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Stunt Cock!
posted by pieisexactlythree at 1:15 PM on June 22, 2006


i like Bollywood films, there is just something charmingly insane about them. i've always felt like; i have no idea what's going on, but everyone seems really enthusiastic about doing whatever it is that they are doing.

Were i in India, i would totally jump at the chance to be in one of their movies.
posted by quin at 1:24 PM on June 22, 2006


They don't just borrow actors from Hollywood, they borrow plenty of ideas as well. For example: Fight Club and a superhero movie released on the same day as Superman.
posted by exhilaration at 1:39 PM on June 22, 2006


Filmmakers in India have always been wary of India's powerful censor boards, and until recently it was taboo to show kissing or drinking alcohol in general-release films. Even when filmmakers thought they could make it past the censors, they often had trouble casting local actors for potentially career-destroying scenes. The answer to the problem: Cast a foreigner. "Westerners will do a lot of things on camera that Indian's just won't do," says Kaneez F. Khan, a Chennai-based producer.

I'm a little puzzled about the above. Is it permitted for westerners in movies to drink and kiss in movies, but not Indians? That would be like a Christian fundamentalist movie maker allowing only non-Christians to fornicate in his movies.
posted by zorro astor at 1:40 PM on June 22, 2006


Woah, the synopsis of the bollywood flight club movie seems absurd compared to the American version. People learn important lessons and stuff.

I'm a little puzzled about the above. Is it permitted for westerners in movies to drink and kiss in movies, but not Indians? That would be like a Christian fundamentalist movie maker allowing only non-Christians to fornicate in his movies.

I think the idea is, you can't pay bollywood actresses to act like sluts because then other Indians will get pissed at them. On the other hand, Americans (Well, this girl is from Puerto Rico) Will do those things on film.

I was once watching Jay Leno interview some blond actor about an upcoming minor baseball movie, and apparently the guy had been recruited in a dance studio by Bollywood talent scouts to play the "generic American" in bollywood movies. He would run around in red-white and blue pants and stuff. He ended up becoming a huge star in India, while here he was a nobody. Very strange, eh?
posted by delmoi at 2:12 PM on June 22, 2006


Serious question: Couldn't they just get untouchables for these roles?
posted by bardic at 2:25 PM on June 22, 2006


I'm a little puzzled about the above. Is it permitted for westerners in movies to drink and kiss in movies, but not Indians? That would be like a Christian fundamentalist movie maker allowing only non-Christians to fornicate in his movies.

I think the idea is, you can't pay bollywood actresses to act like sluts because then other Indians will get pissed at them. On the other hand, Americans (Well, this girl is from Puerto Rico) Will do those things on film.


Exactly. And I imagine the foreign actors can't look Indian, either, which completely wrecks my budding Bollywood movie career. I was looking forward to being the American bad boy Indian who hooks up with random chicks and drinks like a rock star.
posted by SeizeTheDay at 2:28 PM on June 22, 2006


The censorship on kissing is a bit of an in-joke, but Indian actors are often not willing to do censored things for fear of falling out of favor with the public. There's generally a double standard for starring in Hollywood films.
posted by zennie at 2:35 PM on June 22, 2006


From the Bollywood FAQ:

Why don't the characters ever KISS already?

As you can see in the still from Raja Hindustani, sometimes the characters do. But it's rare. The censor board is notoriously unpredictable; no one wants to risk getting a rating that would scare away families. Also, Bollywood plays to a diverse range of people, from the illiterate and provincial to the worldly and urban. Ideas of morality differ widely from group to group. Why include a kiss when you can easily leave it out and avoid the risk of offending customers? Also, actresses don't want to lose their conservative fans, nor do they want to endure salacious flak from journalists. So they're not too keen on kissing on-screen, and many proudly trumpet their refusal to do it.
posted by Jos Bleau at 2:35 PM on June 22, 2006


Couldn't they just get untouchables for these roles?

Let me ask you a question. If you believed in the caste system and, as a movie star, you were in one of the higher castes, would YOU want to work with an untouchable?

I obviously am not endorsing the system, but simply pointing out the consequences of its existence.
posted by SeizeTheDay at 3:12 PM on June 22, 2006


oh the use of the word outsource is priceless. hooray for this.
posted by shmegegge at 4:21 PM on June 22, 2006


Not quite the same, but I live in Japan and I've been an extra in several TV shows and one movie. Casting agencies are constantly on the lookout for gaijin, and I could do it full-time if I wanted to--most of the foreigners doing that kind of work do it full-time.
posted by zardoz at 5:03 PM on June 22, 2006


zardoz: I've always been tempted to try that out just for the sheer ridiculousness of it, but I don't appear to have the cojones.
posted by nightchrome at 5:35 PM on June 22, 2006


So, if I wanted to see, let's say, the ten most iconic Bollywood films (the "Casablanca" and the "Citizen Kane" and the "On the Waterfront's") what would those movies be?

(Because I dig the vibe, I just don't know where to start.)
posted by Cyrano at 8:47 PM on June 22, 2006


(I do actually have a Bollywood devoted theater close to where I live, so current releases would also work.)
posted by Cyrano at 8:49 PM on June 22, 2006


nightchrome, it's asameshimae. Ask around or look in the paper for an agency, show up, say you want to be an extra, they'll take a polaroid of you and you're in. Though if you bring in some more professional photos your chances shoot up dramatically. A lot of times it doesn't matter, they're just looking for warm bodies. My Japanese isn't even good enough to understand the Japanese crew a lot of the time, but it was never a problem.

I've been asked if I've acting experience, and when I laugh it doesn't seem to phase anyone, most extras aren't actors in the least. The only trick is they'll call you out of the blue and say "Can you go to (insert random place) tomorrow for a day/a week for a shoot/audition?" If you're working you have to turn down most offers, but if you're just bumming around it's great, you can get gigs once a week or so, probably more if you're always available.
posted by zardoz at 9:28 PM on June 22, 2006


Also, bears to remember that like most other bits about globalization, this is actually a very old trend. Goras have always played as The Other in Indian films; they've never been central to the narrative, but they've always existed as sidekicks in the scene.

The only difference is that being a Bollywood extra is now a part of the backpacking-in-India experience. It probably started with Shantaram (or may be it hasn't), but apparently, you haven't "done" India unless you've been an extra in a Bollywood movie.

Cyrano: By iconic, I'm presuming you mean movies that have shaped the genre. One easy way to understand Indian cinema is to look at it as a contemporary extension of Urdu/Parsi theater that was popular in 1920's Bombay; most of what we now know as Bollywood-material comes from that school. In that respect, I'd suggest something like Mother India, Mughal e Azam, Sholay, Hum Aap Ke Kaun as possible choices. Note that I haven't quite said that these are good movies (in fact, from the depths of my heart, I hate that 3.3 hour music-video travesty known as HAHK), merely that, among many other such movies, these influenced how later movies would be made.

On the other hand, if you want to simply experience Bollywood, as opposed to understand the genre, try Krrish which will be released soon. Krrish is a thoroughly disgusting movie with cliched plots, and boring music, but given its superhero baggage, an international audience might find it more approachable than the ones I mentioned earlier.

Additionally, you'll also see my ex-workplace in the background and, if they haven't editted the scene, me as one of the onlookers. I may hate Bollywood for what it has done to the Indian mind, but I still find it occassionally irresistable.
posted by the cydonian at 10:11 PM on June 22, 2006


A Quick and Dirty Guide to Bollywood Classics

Sholay
Everyone and their mom's Bollywood favorite. Literally. If you asked my boyfriend's parents - or a lot of other Indians/Indian-Americans of their generation - what their favorite movie is, this would be the answer. With Amitabh Bachchan, the de facto king of Bollywood. Supposedly a copy of The Magnificent Seven / Seven Samurai.

Hum Aapke Hain Koun
A wedding. An accident. An ill-fated love. Lots of singing, dancing, and big names: Anupam Kher, Madhuri Dixit, Salman Khan.

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge
According to Wikipedia, this film is notable for having been one of the first to feature characters living outside India. It's also notable because as of June 2006, it has been running for 555 weeks in a Mumbai theater.

Rangeela.
Maybe not one of the greatest films ever made - and the early 90s clothing will have you laughing out loud. The interesting thing is its subject matter: it centers on a Bollywood dancer.

Mughal-E-Azam
The son of the Moghul Emperor defies him for love of a beautiful dancing-girl, as per Wikipedia. Known for its poetic Urdu dialogue and lavishness. Made in 1960.

1942: A Love Story
Romeo and Juliet during the fall of the Raj, more or less.

Dil To Pagal Hai
Shot in Germany, and loosely based - or so they say - on Showgirls. My boyfriend swears this one is good nonetheless, so take him on his word for it, I guess. I haven't seen it. By the well-known director Yash Chopra.

Deewar
Two brothers who follow different career paths. Supposedly a remake of the older movie Mother India. Another Amitabh Bachchan flick.

Lagaan
Hope you like cricket. Lagaan means land tax, and this movie is about a group of villagers, led by Aamir Khan, who make a double-or-nothing bet with the English. Did I mention that the bet hinges on a cricket game? And that there's a lot of cricket?

Devdas
If I remember correctly, Devdas is based on a Bengali novel. It's the story of an alcoholic man in a love triangle. It's been made into a film at least four times, the most recent (and that of which I speak) in 2002. The sets and costuming are beyond lavish, and it stars three of the biggest names in Bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan (someone I know once compared him to Tom Hanks), Madhuri Dixit, and Aishwarya Rai.

And some sillier ones: Munnabhai M.B.B.S. (a ridiculous comedy about a gangster who pretends to be a doctor when his parents come to town - really popular with a lot of people my age- and starring the utterly creepy terroristish Sanjay Dutt), Khakee (an uber-violent police thriller typical of its genre), Kabhi Khushie Kabhie Gham (Kareena Kapoor, dancing to "It's Raining Men," among other silliness), Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai (a typical improbable romantic plot with six-fingered superstar Hrithik Roshan).

All of the above are a bit more typical - some bad acting, corny romances, overly slutty "Western" clothes, and so on. I should note that Khakee uses Lara Dutta as an "item girl" - she's a nightclub dancer for one song.

I cannot claim to have seen all the movies on this list, so don't blame me if you don't like (some of) 'em.
posted by anjamu at 10:18 PM on June 22, 2006 [3 favorites]


Cyrano, check these old AskMe threads out: 1, 2.
posted by Gyan at 11:20 PM on June 22, 2006


Sweet. Thank you anjamu and Gyan (I knew there were some AskMe threads out there, but teh booze was messing with my search-fu.)
posted by Cyrano at 6:49 AM on June 23, 2006


Oh, gods! Not Lagaan! Not unless you love cricket, or at least know something about the game.

Amar, Akbar, Anthony is an early Amitabh Bachhan film (with Parveen Babi and Shabana Azmi) that is also a classic. It is a comedy about 3 brothers seperated when young, and later reunited with their father, blind mother (who regains her sight) and each other. I believe it includes nearly all Bollywood stereotypes in existance. You won't be able to get the title song out of your head for weeks. Warning - the Netflix version has bad subtitles, none on the songs, and is a bad transfer from video. It is still worth watching.
posted by QIbHom at 1:53 PM on June 24, 2006




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